


Grateful

by PaddlingDingo



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: DBH Rarepairs Week, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 16:43:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17584517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaddlingDingo/pseuds/PaddlingDingo
Summary: For the DBH Rarepairs Week Day 1. Prompt: First kiss / please don’t go.Luther might be falling in love with Kara, even if he doesn't know what that means yet.





	Grateful

It happened when Luther expected it least. They’d made it across the border into Canada, and Alice’s stress levels had risen so high during the ordeal that she’d fallen into standby and stayed that way until they reached Rose’s brother’s house.

They held her in the back seat, and Luther watched Kara stroke her hair. He put his arm around both of them, hoping it helped keep Alice warm. Hoping she knew he was there.

When they reached the house, Kara reached out to touch Alice’s shoulder. “Alice, honey, we’re here. Wake up.”

No response came, and Kara’s eyes got wide with alarm as she looked up at Luther. “She’s not waking up.”

“It’s been a long night. For all of us.” He unbuckled his seatbelt, then Alice’s. Outside, the wind blew snow past the car. He could only see diffused light coming from the house, from the lights that traced the pathway to the house. The porch light. “Let’s get her inside.”

Kara nodded, the worry still clear on her face, and something swelled up in Luther’s chest again. She should have hated him, for what he did. Instead, despite all the ordeals she’d been through, all she’d seen, she could still trust.

She was the most beautiful person he’d ever known, and he didn’t know what that meant or what he should do about it. There was no time to think on it, not with Alice to take care of.

“He’s expecting us, has a room set up for you. Warm.” Rose turned to look back at them. “The children end up needing the most rest, to process everything.”

Luther nodded and pulled Alice from Kara’s arms, cradling her against his body and getting ready to hurry to the house. The path was covered in ice but Luther could balance on it. Rose slipped and clutched at Kara’s arm for support. Adam rushed ahead to open the door, moving over the ice and snow with the agility that young adult humans tended to have.

Rose’s brother set them up with a room upstairs, as warm as Rose had promised. Perhaps too warm for Luther, but Alice needed it. He’d likely go into standby somewhere downstairs anyway, to give them some space.

Kara pulled back the blankets and Luther placed Alice on the large bed. He stepped back, turning his eyes to Kara. “I think we’re safe here. She’s going to be okay.” He reached down to brush a bit of Alice’s hair off her face. “I’m glad we’re safe.”

Kara looked down at Alice and smiled, pulling the blankets up over her still form. “I’m glad you came with us.”

There’d never been any other option than coming with them. Luther knew that. When he’d been caught and Kara had rescued him, he had been certain one of them would die. All the calm that he’d felt left him in that moment. She’d walked from the dark like a shining beacon of hope, again and again. Driven by love, driven by an intense desire to not only live but to ensure others lived, too. She cared.

He put a hand on hers. “I am, too.” He pulled his hand away and nodded. “I’m going to go ahead and head downstairs. Get some rest.”

Kara shook her head. “Please… don’t go.” She shrugged out of her jacket, pushing it near the end of the bed. “Luther, I…”

Her face was lit in the warm tones of the lamp beside the bed. A blush spread over her cheeks, he assumed from their brief time out in the snow. “Are you okay, Kara?”

She bit at her lip, reaching up to run her hand over his cheek. He froze, not wanting to ruin the moment. Her touch was hesitant, gentle, and the most wonderful thing he’d felt.

“I'm fine.” She leaned forward and put her arms around his neck, tucking her head against him.

He could feel the shake in her body, the remains of her own high stress levels at the border. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her against him. She felt like strength, like hope. “It’s okay. I’m here if you need me.”

Her body fit perfectly against him even though she was so much smaller than him, and he realized that he loved having her this close. He wanted to tell her that she was amazingly brave, that he’d be here for her. Instead, he rested his head against hers and closed his eyes.

He’d thought he’d been keeping her safe, but maybe he’d only known part of it. He’d never felt safe before that he remembered, and being at Zlatko’s, seeing what had been done to do many androids. What he’d been a part of. The pain of it washed through him now that the emergencies were over. What was this feeling?

She realized it before he did and pulled away, her fingers wiping a tear from his cheek. “You’re crying. Did I do something wrong?”

“Kara.” He opened his eyes, blinking away the moisture in his eyes. “You’re everything that’s right about the world.”

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. A gentle kiss, that didn’t demand anything from him, but perhaps asked a question. He’d never been kissed before and he didn't know what it meant. Just that caused something in him to uncurl, feel protected. He'd never felt that in his life. 

He parted his lips and kissed her back, unable to think of anything but how it felt to be here. With her. 

Was this being alive? For real? What would happen to them? Is this what it had all been for?

He wanted to know it all, but they had time. And he’d take it slow, savor every moment he had with Kara.

They curled up in bed, with Kara up against Alice to keep her warm, and Luther trying to figure out how to go into standby laying down. He’d never done that before, he’d always stood. Standing watch, or standing wherever someone told him to stand. He didn't know how to relax. 

Just when he thought he wasn’t sure if he could stay there with them, Kara intertwined her fingers with his. “I’m glad you stayed," she murmured. 

He couldn’t find his voice, so he kissed the back of her neck. Her skin felt so warm under his lips.

Whatever was next, they all had each other, and Luther was grateful to finally have hope. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this very late at night, on my phone, curled up in bed. I've wanted to write something for them for so long, some beginning to their hope. They deserve that, this beautiful android family.


End file.
